Dirigible headlight for locomotives



Jul 20 192 1,593,075

' K. HENSLEY DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR LOCOMOTIVES Filed June 16. 1925 Kji /281g Quorum Patented July 20, 1926 7 i i H idi i fE S i l fitt ng:

KIMBRO HENSLEY, LENOIR CITY, TENNESEEE.

DIRIGIBLE HEADLIGHT FOR LOCOMOTIVES.

Application filed June 16, 1925. Serial No. 37,504.

This invention relates to improvements in understood of course that theheadlight is dirigiblc headlights and is more particularly adapted toswing on the upper end of the adapted for use upon locomotives. postabout a vertical axis.

AS is well known, the curves of railroad Arranged on the bottom of theheadlight 6 tracks are banked, that is to say the outer casing adjacentthe rear end thereof is the rail of the curve is suitably elevated withsegn'iental beveled gear t. Adapted to mesh respect to the inner rail,whereby the car or with this segmental beveled gear is the comloeomotiveis tilted laterally while round plementary segmental beveled gear 5which ing the curve. These conditions are utilized is supported on theforward end of the os- 10 in providing a. means for effecting theautocillatory shaft 6, the same being journaled matic movement andcontrol of the headadjacent its respective ends in suitable bearlightsso that the rays from the headlight ings 7 provided in the upper ends ofthe will at all times be directed onto the tracks. spaced supportingbrackets 8 and 9 respec- A further object of the invention is to tively,the latter being secured at their lower 15 provide a dirigible headlightfor locomotives ends on the rear portion of the base. A colwhichincludes a pendulum, the same delar pin is secured on the rear end ofthe shaft pending from an oscillatory shaft, suitable 6 so as to preventthe accidental displacement means being associated with the headlight ofthe shaft from its bearings.

and the shaft whereby the movement of the Depending from th i t di t tiheadlight on its vertical axis will be conof the oscillatory shaft 6 andadapted to trolled by the oscillatory movement of said swing between thesupporting brackets t5 shaft. and 9 is the pendulum 11 A further objectis to provide a dirigible Normally the parts of my improved headlightfor locombtives of the above mendirigiblc headlight are disposed in theman- 25 tioned character which is simple in construcner shown in Fig. 2wherein the pendulum tion, inexpensive, and furthermore adapted 11 liesin the same vertical plane with the to the purposes for which the sameis desigsupporting brackets, and this position is t d maintained so longas a locomotive is travel- Other objects and advantages of this ining ona straight stretch of tracks. hen 35 30 vention will become apparentduring the the locomotive rounds a curve and consecourse of thefollowing description. quently tilts inwardly of the curve on ac- In theaccompanying drawing forming count of the fact that the outer rail ofthe part of this specification and in which like track is higher thanthe inner rail the numerals are employed to designate like pendulum 11will swing correspondingly 30 parts throughout the same: thus causingthe shaft 6 to oscillate and Figure 1 is a side elevation of thedirlgisimultaneously swinging the headlight 3 0n ble headlight embodyingmy invention. its vertical axis through the medium of Fi 2 is asectional view taken a roXi the intermesl'iine ears l and 5 so that themately on line 22 of Fig. 1 looking in the rays of light from theheadlight will be 4o direction of the arrows, and directed onto thetracks while the locomotive Fig. 8 is a similar view lllustrating amodis making the turn. ilication. After the locomotive has passed beyondIn the drawing wherein for the purpose of the curved portion of thetrack, it is of illustration is shown the preferred embodicourseapparent that the pendulum 11 will ment of my invention, the numeral 1desigswing back to its initial position simulnates the base which issecured on the front taneously returning the headlight to its norof alocomotive in any suitable manner. Semal position on the post orstanoard 2 so cured at its lower end on the forward end of that the raysof light will be projected the base 1 is the vertical post or standard 2straight ahead. so and rotatably supported on the upper end of In Fig. 3of the drawing, the oscillatory this post or standard is the headlightdesigshaft 6 is supported adjacent its respective nated generally by thenumeral 3. As the ends in a pair of cars 12 which extend upheadlight maybe of any conventional conwardly froni the sides of asuitableconstruction, such as is now ordinarily used upon tainer 13whlch is supported on the rear as locomotives, a further detaileddescription portion of the base 1, container be ng thereof is notthought necessary, it being adapted to be filled with a liquid preferheavy oil and the pendulum 11 extends through the cut out portion 14provided therefor in the top of the container, the weighted portion ofthe pendulum being adapted for swinging movement in the body of oilplaced within the container.

It will thus be seen from the foregoing description, that a dirigibleheadlight has been provided which is of such construction as to enablethe same to be readily and easily installed on the front of a locomotiveand will furthermore at all times be positive and efficient in itsoperation so as to insure the proper illuminating of the tracks ahead ofthe locomotive.

lVhile I have shown the preferred embodiment of my invention, it is tobe under stood that various changes in the size, shape and arrangementof parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit orsacrificing any of the advantages of the ap pended claim.

lVh-at is claimed is A dirigible headlight for locomotives comprising incombination, a base, a vertical post supported thereon, a headlightcasing adapted to swing on a vertical axis on the upper end of saidpost, a closed liquid container mounted on the base rearwardly of thestandard, a pair of upstanding ears formed on the forward and rear endsof the container, the top of said container being pro vided with atransversely extending slot, an oscillatory shaft journalcd at itsrespective ends in said upstanding ears, intermeshing segmental gearscarried by the bottom of the rear portion of the headligln casing andthe forward end of the oscillatory shaft respectively, and a pendulumdepending from the intermediate portion of said oscillatory shaftthrough the slot in the top of the casing, the lower end of the pendulumbeing operable within the liquid in the aforementioned container.

In testimony whereof I afiix my signature.

KIMBRO HENSLEY.

